Note: This One shot is my attempt to continue loving the show and give it some positivity. Given Shaurya's insults this week and the entire loose character track going on I feel the protagonists of the show shouldn't stoop so low. Welcome to my world of imagination where more characters shift from negative to a positive (at least grey) perspective.
Prologue (Episode 74): Shaurya insults Anokhi & calls her a loose character in the library. Anokhi announces to quit the college. She runs home to Aastha crying. As she narrates the days incidents to Aashtha, Shaan is also present. A very angry Shaan storms to Sabharwal house. The father and son have a very fierce confrontation.
~*~
Sabharwal house:
Shaan is so angered by Shaurya's indifference to women that he curses Shaurya's parvarish. This comment caught the attention of bade papa (Tej).
Shaurya says had he been raised by the other mother he would have abandoned people for selfish reasons so the parvarish he got is good only. Shaan raises his hand slap Shaurya. Tej holds Shaan's hand and stops him saying not to do anything he might regret later.
Shaurya dashes into his room and slams the door. Shaan throws his hands up in the air, mutters arrogant brat and goes off to his room.
At dinner table that night bade papa notices that Devi, Shaurya and Shaan did not come to have dinner. He decides to fix this. So he starts by confronting Devi first.
~*~
"Devi, tum dinner karne nahi aayi. Kya hua?"
"Aapne dekha aaj Shaan ne kaise mujhe neeche dikhaya sabke saame, meri parvarish pe ungli uthaayi. Aaj mein apne bete ke paas jaane ke liye hichkicha rahi hu. Yeh sab uss ladki, Anokhi ke wajah se ho raha hai."
"Devi tum badi ho. Abhi badaapa dikhaane ka waqt hai. Shaurya ne bhi dinner nahi kiya. Usko cool down karke dinner pe laana chahiye tumko. Ulta tum bhi upset ho kar baith gayi?"
Devi just rolls eyes as him.
"Dekho, Devi mujhe yeh bilku bhi nahi pasand ki tum log baat baat pe Anokhi aur uss aurat ko ghaseet te ho. Hum un dono ko itna jyaada yaad karte hai ki hum Shaurya ko inn dono auraton ko ignore karna impossible kar dete hai."
"Aap kehna kya chahte ho?"
"Arre bhai tum ek maa ho. Ab ek maa ko kaun samjhayega ki bachcha bhooka nahi so sakta. Shaurya se jaake baat karo, uska mood thik karo phir khaana khao dono
Devi left the room somewhat irritated.
~*~
Tej decided confront Shaan next. Tej found Shaan in his rocking chair listening to old songs. He knocked on the door.
"Kya mein andar aa sakta hu?
"Bhai saab aap. Please come inside"
"Tum thik lag rahe ho ab? Mein hairan hu ki tum sharaab nahi pee rahe ho itna gusse me hone ke bawazood bhi.
"Mein gussa nahi hu bhai saab. Disappointed hu, khud se bhi aur iss ghar ke logon ke mindset se bhi."
"Arre bhai hua kya hai? Lagta hai tumhari biwi ne tumhe bada chadaa ke kuch kahaani sunaayi."
"Bilkul nahi bhai saab"
Shaan explains the incidents between Shaurya & Anokhi that day and how it escalated by Shaurya getting angry at her in the library. Aastha's decision supporting Anokhi from leaving the college. How they both started packing their bags and also requested Shaan to arrange the cab to take them to Kapurthala the next day after Anokhi receives her TC at the university.
Tej listened to the entire episode and admits that Shaurya's behaviour is at fault here.
"Shaan, mujhe lagta hai Shaurya iss ladki ke mamle mein bahut jazbaati ho jaate hai. Shayad Aastha ke liye iska jo nafrat hai woh uss ladki pe dikhaata hai. Warna woh aurat, middle class, small town aise biases nahi karta. Parvarish sirf tumhari bhabhi nahi mainey bhi diya hai usko aur mere parvarish pe mujhe poora yakeen hai.
Warna mein usko Patiala nahi bheta naya campus set up karne ke liye."
"Aap Shaurya ko Patiala bhej rahe ho? Itna bada decision le liya aur mujhe batana zaruri nahi samjha?"
"Iss ghar mein hamesha kuch na kuch hungama hota hai aaj kal. Mauka hi nahi mila mujhe yeh baat tumse discuss karne ke liye. Ab bata raha hoon na"
"I don't care. Aap usse Patiala bhejo ya vanvaas bhejo mere ko koi farakh nahi padta."
"Vanvaas toh nahi bhejunga, lekin Shaurya Patiala move ho jayega toh Anokhi ko kya dhikkat hai university mein padhai continue karne ke liye? After all usko Shaurya se problem hai aur ab woh khud university se resign karke jaa raha hai"
Shaan eyed Tej curiously.
"Aap kehna kya chahte ho?"
"Yehi as a director mein achcha students ka career barbaad nahi hone de sakta. Especially, agar decision gusse mein bina soche samjhe liya hua hai toh. Maine jab Anokhi ka interview le rahe the mujhe woh potential student lagi. Aur woh Anmol Arora waala molestation mamle mein, usne insaaf maanga aur jab usko insaaf mil gaya usnein badaapa dikhaaya. Usne uss ladke ko rusticate hone se bachaya, career kharaab hone se bachaya."
Shaan nods proudly.
"Kal mere signature ke liye aayegi na TC ke liye. Mein baat karta hu Anokhi se. Chalo tum dinner karlo aur rest karo. Good night, Shaan!"
"Good night bhai saab. Thank you for trusting me."
~*~
Next day Anokhi goes to meet her sister. Babli tries to convince Anokhi to stay, leave her stubbornness and focus all that anger on studies. After all she underwent so much risks and difficulties to come to Chandigarh, get admission into SIAC. Babli felt Anokhi was taking an immature decision in anger.
Babli decides to accompany Aonkhi to her university and spend the little time they had in the day together. Anokhi goes into Tej's chamber for getting his signature on the TC paper, while Babli waits in the corridor. She leaves the paper on Tej's desk while he signals her to sit in the chair. Tej picks the paper, looks at it disinterestedly and slips it back on the table.
"Kyun?"
"Sir, mein yeha adjust nahi kar paa rahi hu."
"Ragging aur molestation issue solve toh ho gaya. Mein tumhe corridors mein dekhta hoon doston ke saath. Toh syllabus se problem hai ya standard of education high hai aur adjust nahi kar paa rahi ho?"
"Thoda sa personal problem hai sir"
Tej was actually impressed she did not rat out Shaurya or the entire library incident. He was more adamant than ever to convince her to stay.
"Bhai, parson se semester ke exams hai. Itna mushkil waqt jhel liya tumne aur ab jaana chahti ho. Iska ek hi matlab hua, tumhe fail hone ka darr hai. Aur tumhari interview maine liya, mujhe lagta tha tum bright student ho"
He looks at her puzzled. A small tear rolled down Anokhi's eye as her entire hardships from getting beat by her father, running away from shaadi ka madap, train journey, sleeping in library, ragging played in front of her eyes. Tej asked her to drink some water and demanded to know the truth. She narrated the incidents between her and Shaurya over the past 2 days. The goons, the FIR, Shaurya calling her a loose character etc. Tej reclined in his chair as he listened to her intently. Anokhi wiped the tears that were gushing from her eyes as she was trying to talk and hold the pain at the same time. Tej said powerfully yet consolingly:
"Dekho, Anokhi mein bhi maanta hu tumhare liye ek achcha jivan ka ticket tumhari padhai hai. Aur woh yeh university tumhe de sakti hai. A ticket to a good career and a good life. Ab toh yeha tumhare dost bhi hai, tumhe padhai mein koi problem nahi hai. Tumhe Shaurya se problem hai toh ghar se online classes lelo. Lekin parson ka mid-term miss mat karna beta"
Anokhi listened to him quietly.
"Mein make sure karunga ki tum exams bhi online de sakti ho. Mein promise nahi kar sakta lekin try karunga. Waisey bhi Shaurya ab Patiala move ho jayega toh tum dono ka aamna saamna bhi nahi hoga"
Anokhi's head shot up curiously. Tej explained to her that Shaurya is getting promoted as director of the Patiala campus and since it's new he will shift there for initial couple of years till that campus gets established. For the first time, Anokhi took her sip of water more comfortably.
"Ab mujhe ek aakiri cheez karna baaki hai"
"Kya, sir?"
~*~
Meanwhile, Babli was pacing outside in the corridor when Shaurya came. Their encounter could not have been more awkward. Babli turned her face away from Shaurya in irritation. This felt like a slap on his face. He walked to her sheepishly and apologised for his actions. He admitted to her that he did not mean to offend Anokhi in anyway but he lost his temper because the girl was always trusting the wrong people and ends up in trouble. To this Babli took a long and deep look at him and answered humbly.
"Students ko samjhana hi toh aapka profession hai. Aur Anokhi toh maa baap se bhi jyaada apne professors ki respect karti hai. Toh ab mujhe doubt aap pe hai"
This pissed Shaurya further. Of course he wasn't sincere, he was just trying to cope with his guilt. In his head he was thinking why it's so difficult for him to talk to these two sisters. Then the peon asked Shaurya to enter Tej's chamber. Tej pointed Shaurya to Anokhi's adjoining chair. He tried to arbitrate between the two.
"Shaurya, yeh Anokhi ki TC hai. Woh hamari university chod ke jaa rahi hai. Tumhe iss baat ka idea tha?"
"Nahi, bade papa"
"I see. Tumhe kahi se bhi lagta hai tum iss decision ke liye responsible ho"
Shaurya looked at the ground and couldn't meet his eyes with his bade papa.
"Thik hai ji. I will take your silence as a yes, but I think we all owe an apology here for the mess created"
Shaurya mumbled — "Sorry bade papa"
"Apology sirf mujhe mil rahi hai"
Shaurya looked at Anokhi, then looked at the ground and muttered in a very low voice — "Tumhe bhi"
"Good. Dekho bachchon, yeh university meri saalon ki mehnat hai, yeh meri zindagi ka maksad hai. Shaurya jab tum Patiala campus establish karoge na tum meri baat samjhoge. Ek bright student ko university se drop out ho jaana uss university ka loss hai aur tum achche tarah jaante ho ki mein business man bhi hoon. Isliye mein chahta hu ki yeh mamla hum achche se shaanti se thande dimaag se suljhaaye."
Shaurya and Anokhi nodded.
"Good, ab decided hai. Shaurya tum parson se main campus aane ki zarurat nahi hai. I think Patiala should be your main focus.
Anokhi tum exams pe concentrate karo. Results aane ke baad mein tumhare saath baat karunga. Agar achche marks nahi aaye toh yeh TC pe sign karke, Kapurthala ka ticket khareed ke mein personally tumhe nikaal dunga college se"
Anokhi looked scared — "Mazaak kar raha hu. You both can leave now. Good day and be kind to each other."
Both left the room. Shaurya tried to reach to open the door for Anokhi but she dashed out so fast trying to avoid eye contact. She grabbed her sisters hand and stormed from there. Shaurya gave a weary glance and walked off in the opposite direction.
~*~
Anokhi slogged for her exams. She appeared for her exams on the campus. She was relieved Shaurya was not around and even if he was there she was so focused on her exams she couldn't care less.
The exam results came after 2 weeks. Anokhi was attending online classes. She topped the class and set the highest record that the university has never seen before. All the professors and her friends requested her to come to campus for celebrations.
Tej, Shaan & Alok called her into the board room and told her the university is rewarding her by giving a room in the hostel and a stipend so she did not have to work at the canteen. Anokhi felt her stars were changing. However, in return Tej demanded that she top her class and crack the IAS civil exam which was at the end of the 4 years. If she took this reward then she is not allowed to drop from the university till she achieves her goal. It dint take her 2 sec to agree to the offer. Shaan congratulated her and blessed her.
Everyone was happy except for Alok. He ratted this out to Devi and she was boiling with anger. However, in her mind she was confident that her husband believes in keeping friends close & enemies closer.
Aastha decided to move back to Kapurthala but on a good note this time. When she got down the train she was welcomed very nicely by Anokhi's mother & father at the railway station. Aastha and Anokhi's mother, Rama hugged each other and she invited Aastha to join them over lunch.
Meanwhile, Shaurya got very busy with his Patiala campus. However, he made it a rule never to come to main campus except on holidays. He found it mysterious why he always wanted to know about Anokhi's whereabouts, why he would sneak into online lectures when she attended.
He couldn't help it but think about her when he was lonely and not consumed by work. So he made it a point he would work non-stop so that his heart is not troubling him. He would smile to himself when he hears that she tops the classes and exams. He would be furious when he found out from the peon or librarian that she stayed dangerously late in the library or campus.
Why am I always bothered by this girl?
Why am I stalking this girl? So unlike me, yet why?
Note: Hi guys, this OS got too long. I am stopping this here. Do let me know if you want me to continue. I want to write a part 2 which is the next encounter between Shaurya & Anokhi. Comment below or DM me to read more!
